There was a break in today’s weather and I would take some things out of the house into the garage.

On my return I heard such a commotion on the river and saw Ducklings heading in all directions with what looked like a female duck chasing them off.

Now we have a pair of Mallard who seem to have taken up residence with us for the second year.
I call him Charlie Drake & her Mrs Drake. He’s quite a character and he dotes on her. They didn’t seem to rear any young last year, but hoped they would on their return this year , as yet nothing, but I think she could be sitting and Charlie Drake is never far away, often sitting on one of the boulders or visiting our feed station and there he was watching todays drama unfold.

After half a minute of seeing this female Mallard chasing Ducklings, I soon realised she wasn’t chasing them away as such, she was trying to scare them away and it worked, 3 of them headed down river, but one would stay glued to her feet. This had me a tad concerned as there were five last week. I then looked up stream and I could see a Heron and with Mum still calling out, I wondered if that no5 Duckling had met with a grizzly end last week and maybe this is why mum was in the panic that she was today?
Now some people may dispute this and say Herons would not eat Ducklings, it may not have actually happened here, but having seen it before, I can categorically say, that yes, a Heron will eat a Duckling.

I would head inside to get the McNikon and came back out in stealth mode.
But I was now also like a sitting duck and because of our positions there was no way that the Heron would not see me.
I got into the best position I could and managed to bag a couple of shots of said Heron, but of course ever watchful, he would eventually spy me and for a second, I’m looking through the McNikon and he was staring right back at me , just like the scene from Crocodile Dundee which sees Sue photographing Dundee at the Aboriginal gathering.
He then turned away and took a low flight further up stream.

Now in this short space of time, it hadn’t gone unnoticed that all Ducks, young and old, had gone.
That is, all but one! I could hear it, a Duckling, calling out, but could not pinpoint it.
Its calls were those of distress. I would then see it, sat low in the water near a rock. I would change my position and move to a better place to sit, I wouldn’t abandon it, I was here for the long haul to keep guard and I text Alistair to see if he would bring me a coffee.

Somewhat slower than Costa, Alistair arrived with my coffee and I pointed out the Duckling. And then right before us, the lonesome Duckling moved and began to face downstream and swim away from its hiding rock, then its call changed, it became almost excitable and coming into view appeared Mum and its three siblings. Mum scrambled onto a rock and Duckling made it to her and this family was reunited and soon began swimming and feeding with the last horror hour soon becoming a distant memory and I would get a photo for the album, then sit back and just thought ‘Awww’, Nature can be cruel and that’s life, but it can also be blooming wonderful.
The Lonesome Duckling was lonely no more

– Karen – x

P.S. For those that aren’t aware, in 2022 we moved and are now in the Highlands living on the side of a river. Life has changed somewhat again and I thought it was about time I got back to this blog Kx